Wartorn
by Numb3r Se7en
Summary: Armion and Fillim. High Elf and Wood Elf. Altmer and Bosmer. Brothers. These two have been together since birth, but when The Aldmeri Dominion requests assistance from all able-bodied citizens the pair must decide what is more important, their companionship, or the war?


Introduction

"Open your eyes!" Armion cried, kneeling down next to his brother's body. "Don't die on me! You can't die on me!"

"Altmer," Raksada sighed as he rested his Khajiit hand on the sobbing man's shoulder, "he's gone."

The High Elf wiped the tears from his eyes before rising to his feet. "This isn't our fight," Armion admitted through gritted teeth, "but I'll be damned if we don't win it."

Two Weeks Earlier...

Armion darted through the forest, around trees and shrubberies as he attempted to outrun the pointy-eared figure chasing him.

He reached a dark cave and retreated into the stone enclave. As he hid behind a stalactite(mite?) , the hooded assasin sneaked through the enterance. The Altmer listened to his attacker's footsteps. As the man snuck around the left of the High Elf's rocky cover, Armion snuck around the right, heading for the way he had previously entered from. Just then, the hooded man came around the corner, right in front of Armion, bow drawn. "Caught you," the Wood Elf smirked.

The target smiled and raised his hands. "Fair and square."

They both burst into raucous laughter. "That was foolish, hiding in the cave. You had nowhere to run!"

"I panicked! By the way, Fillim, how did you get outside so quick? You were right next to me when I started heading out."

The victor chuckled feebly. "I never went in."

They both stopped laughing as a loud growl echoed from behind. The High and Wood Elf looked back into the cave to see a big, black bear, staring right at them, teeth easily visible. "Race you back to the house?" challenged Armion, but there was no answer. "You're already gone, aren't you?" He checked over his shoulder. "Of course you are."

He quickly ran back in the direction he had come from earlier that day, towards the wooden cabin he and his brother, Fillim shared. They weren't brothers by blood, but they'd known each other since they were young, and, over time, had become the closest thing to family as they could. "Some brother you are!" Armion shouted to the rushing figure ahead.

"I'm teaching you a valuable life lesson!" Fillim called back.

"Oh, yeah? What's that?"

"Never trust an Elf!"

"I'm an Elf!"

"Exactly! Gotta watch your back!"

Armion shook his head and looked over his shoulder to see if the bear was after him. To his surprise, it wasn't. He slowed to a stop. "Hey! It's not after us!"

Fillim skidded to a stop, checked for himself, and shouted to the sky, "Excellent!" They both panted for a few seconds before Fillim added, "Race you back to the house!"

Armion had anticipated this, and, by the time the Elf had challenged him, he was ahead of him. "Last one there has to cook supper!"

They were side by side, charging straight for their home. "You can't win this, Elf. Give up."

"Not likely, you dirty Elf." They both reached their front door simultaneously and yet still argued over who won.

After a few hours, the sun was starting to set, and the pair was enjoying their meal of venison and vegetable stew they had prepared collaboratively. "Damn Elven food. So salty."

"Too many vegetables. Elves are such nature-lovers."

Their tree-surrounded paradise was just south of Arenthia, in Valenwood. They were originally located in Woodhearth but moved for the adventure. "Hey," Fillim attempted to say through a mouthful of stew, "how're we doing for firewood?"

"We've got enough, but we'll have to restock soon. Why?"

The Wood Elf shrugged. "Just wondering." There was a knock at the door. The pair looked to their appropriate sides at the source of the interruption. "Who do you think it is?"

"The bear?" They smiled slightly before the noise was repeated. Armion rose from his seat and walked towards the door, reaching for the knob. "I'm coming."

He opened it, and his heart skipped a beat. "Are you Armion Greenway?" the most beautiful girl Armion had ever seen asked. He nodded shakily. "And you share a house with Fillim Strumm?"

"Ooh! That's me!" The Elf confessed from his seat with a wave.

"Right." The Elf paused to read what looked like a short script. "As you might already know, there is a war between the Daggerfall Covenant, Ebonheart Pact, and the Aldmeri Dominion, led by our Queen, Ayrenn." She paused to breathe. "Queen Ayrenn has asked that all able-bodied adults fight for their country." Another pause. "Will you join us in our battle for Cyrodil and our freedom itself? Pause for cheers." She blinked at the page a few times. "I seem to have messed it up."

By now, Fillim was leaning on the wide-eyed High Elf. "So," he started, biting into an apple, "you want us to fight in a war we have no reason to join for a cause we have no interest in?"

"You're not interested in being free?" inquired the stunning, armoured High Elf on the porch.

"I feel pretty free now."

"He's Fillim," pointed out Armion, still wide-eyed.

The officer frowned at the frozen man. "He's just catching up," explained his brother.

"I see. May we come in?"

"We?"

There was a knock on the back door.

The three were seated in the Elvish brothers' living room, now joined by two Khajiit soldiers, who were standing behind the officer's arm chair. "If you don't mind me asking, what is your name?" asked Armion, who had just caught up.

"I am Captain Elaninde, but you may call me Captain."

"Alright, Ela-" He stopped himself. "Captain, why are we being asked to join the army? I mean, surely the Queen has enough soldiers?"

"More is always better."

"Not true," Fillim argued. "We were once attacked by a swarm of bees. I can tell you now, I would have preferred a lot less."

The captain stared blankly at the now awkward man. "We understand you are having trouble keeping your land." Armion looked at Fillim out of the corner of his eyes. It was true. They were struggling to make enough gold from hunting to pay the taxes that had been increased since the war.

"You will be paid four times your present monthly income and have the opportunity to stay in Arenthia, where Queen Ayrenn herself is currently located. You might even have the chance to meet her."

Fillim's eyes lit up at the Queen's name. "Would you excuse us for a moment," he shakily requested as he grabbed Armion's elbow, yanking him outside to the porch. "We've got to sign up."

"Why?"

"Remember that time I told you I saw her when we were selling those fox pelts?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, she's beautiful."

"So it's a totally superficial thing?"

"Absolutely." The Altmer frowned. "You'd be able to see the captain more."

They spun back to face the waiting soldiers. "We'll join you."

"Great," Elaninde smiled. "Come along."

She began heading out the door. "Now?" Fillim asked.

"The war isn't going to wait for you, and neither will I."

The two elves glanced at each other before grabbing a few necessary belongings and heading out the door. "This is crazy," Armion sighed to himself. "I can't believe we're doing this."

"Love will make men do anything," Fillim commented.

"It's not love, though. It's just physical attraction."

The careless Bosmer shrugged. "Po-tai-to, po-tah-to."


End file.
